BOCOCK/HOBAUGH

The Bocock Cemetery is in a large pasture field now owned by the Matter estate. In an early day it was the property of George Hobaugh one of the Grant County pioneers. His home stood on high ground overlooking miles of the surrounding country. Several very large apple trees are all that remain of this once hospitable home-place. A few rods northeast on another rise of ground and across a deep ravine is the Bocock Cemetery. Here is to be found the grave of Reason Malott, the first landowner in Washington Township and whose son Robert was born July 17, 1827. He was the first white child to be born in Washington Twp. and claimed by some to be the first white child to be born in Grant County.

The above was written by the DAR in the 1940's.

The Bocock is sometimes referred to as the Hobaugh Cemetery. I visited this cemetery in September of 1996. I must say it was the most difficult to find and obtain access to. This land is no longer the Matter estate, but has passed through at least 2 doctors since then and is now in the hands of a 3rd doctor. I made many inquiries as to the location of this cemetery. Many people knew of it, but were unsure as to how to get to it. I spent a whole day in an adjoining woods only to come back without finding it. I finally found a young man who offered to take me to it.

We left civilization behind at the north end of Val Lane on the east side of Lake Forrest (previously Wagner Lake). We headed northeast through a woods that had a deep ravine through it. We then entered an open field, which is on the original Matter estate. This open field must be the pasture field the DAR was talking about. There is no stock here at the present time, the present owner keeps it mowed. To the north of this open field was another woods. We then followed this woods line for several rods east before entering the woods at an old road heading north that led us right to the cemetery. This is one of the most lonely and desolate cemeteries I have been in.

The land was so rough in this area, it makes plotting this cemetery very hard. From an aerial map I was able to pinpoint the cemetery in the N.E. 1/4 of Section 29 in Washington Twp., almost on the section line between Sec. 29 and Sec. 20. Owner of the adjoining land in Section 20 thought the cemetery was on the back side of his land, but it's not. Originally the road to access this cemetery came off of Charles Road and angled north - northwest all the way back to the cemetery. That road is closed now, and can no longer be used.

The cemetery itself, is totally destroyed. Every stone was down, or leaning against a tree, and many were broken into several pieces. We pieced together what we could and was able to find a little more than half of the original reading. Sometime in the past a fence had been placed around the perimeter of this cemetery, but it is now (1996) totally down. Much of the damage was said to be done by vandalism, but some could have been done by stock and the elements. Judging from the size and appearance of this cemetery, there are 3 to 4 times as many people buried here than was listed 50 years ago. I found part of the marker of the oldest marked grave listed by the DAR in the 1940's - Priscilla dau of Geo. & Elizabeth Hobaugh, but I didn't find the latest burial recorded by the DAR - Minnie Malott, died Feb. 18, 1872.

I feel many markers are there under years of decomposing plant matter. Several trees were down possibly hiding some of the grave markers not found at this time. I seen many depressions in the ground that shows a grave is there, but no stone could be found. The whole floor of this cemetery was covered by Vinca (a ground cover found in many old cemeteries). There was also a patch of old fashioned day lilies (orange flags). It's hard to believe that nearly 125 years has passed since this cemetery was used, but these flowers are still there.

I wouldn't suggest anyone trying to find this cemetery without someone to lead the way that knows where it is. It would be very easy to get lost back in there. Much of this land is as the pioneers found it almost 200 years ago.

Bocock Cemetery-Story in Pictures

by Carla Hobaugh Smith

Bocock/Hobaugh

Beam,
Mary wife of Daniel Beam died Feb. 2, 1863 aged 27y.
(the remaining part of this inscription is broken away
-DAR)
I didn't find the stone for Mary, but I did find a bottom
that may be what was missing in the 1940's, it reads as
follows:
__y.6m.16 or 18d.
"My wife beloved in life
In death lamented"
Bocock,
* Alvardo son of Levi & Norah Bocock died June 15, 1848
aged 21y.11m.3d.
Penelope wife of John Bocock died June 15, 1869
aged 79 years
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
Bond,
Amos son of M.& M. Bond died Mar. 26, 1863
aged 17y.9m.17d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
Elmer E. son of J. & S. Bond died Jan. 30, 1862
aged 5m.19d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
* John son of M.& M. Bond died Sept. 15, 1853
aged 12y.7m.5d.
Found a footstone with the initials J.B.
Lewis W. son of J. & S. Bond died Oct. 4, 1860
aged 3y.8m.5d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
Margaret Jackson dau of M. & M. Bond died Aug. 3, 1869
aged 33y.8d.
(I found the top only of this stone.)
Margaret C. dau of J. & S. Bond died Sept. 23, 1860
aged 1y.4m.1d.
(I found the bottom only of this stone.)
* Mary dau of M. & M. Bond died Sept. 12, 1850
aged 12y.6m.2d.
* Mary E. dau of J. & S. Bond died Sept. 8, 1850 aged 5y.8m.5d.
* Moses died Aug. 11, 1853 aged 15y.8m.10d.
Penelope dau of M. & M. Bond died Dec. 18, 1850
aged 7y.9m.7d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
* Susanna wife of Joseph Bond died May 26, 1862 aged 33y.11d.
Conn,
Benjamin E. son of E. & S. Conn died Oct. 13, 1863
aged 11y.3m.11d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
Found a footstone with the initials B.E.C.
* Ezra B. son of E. & S. Conn died Aug. 5, 1853
aged 10m.8d.
George W. son of E. & S. Conn died Jan. 24, 1848
aged 1y.9m.7d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
* Mary J. dau of E. & S. Conn died May 31, 1847
aged 2y.7m.18d.
* Sena E. dau of E. & S. Conn died Aug. 5, 1853
aged 5y.3m.17d.
Eviston,
* Elias L. son of E. & J. Eviston died June 17, 1853
aged 4m.13d.
James H. son of E. & J. Eviston died July 1, 1851
aged 23y.5m.3d.
(A tree had fallen on this stone and broke it into 2 pieces.)
Hobaugh,
* Eber W. son of John & Lucy Hobaugh died Feb. 19, 1848
aged 3y.10m.11d.
Elizabeth wife of George died Feb. 11, 1871 aged 73y.6m.6d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
NOTE: New information has come to me through a
descendant of George and Elizabeth Hobaugh. This
stone evidently had Elizabeth wife of George Hobaugh
on it at one time. When the DAR read this in the
1940's and I read it last year the top part of the
stone was gone. George Hobaugh moved to York County,
Nebraska after his wife died. He died there July 19,
1874.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from Peggy A. Dick 4/26/98
Re Hobaugh Cemetery: The inscription listed for George
Hobaugh should be "Elizabeth (Kingry), wife of George
Hobaugh, died 11 Feb 1871". After Elizabeth died, George
moved to York Co NE to live with his daughter, Lydia
Hobaugh Woolman. George is buried at the Counsel Church
cemetery, York Co. NE. The inscription on his stone
reads--Geo. Hobaugh, died July 19, 1874, aged 81 yrs,
2 mos, 28 d's.
Boots Cemetery: In regard to notice in Chronicle Apr. 20,
1883--Mr. Hobaugh adds to list-James Murray and Benjamin
Morgan who died in 1845. James Murray was married in 1843
to Lydia Hobaugh, dau of George and Elizabeth Hobaugh;
Benjamin Morgan was married in 1841 to Rachael Hobaugh,
also a dau of George and Elizabeth.
There are possibly two other children of George and
Elizabeth buried in the Hobaugh cemetery: Priscilla,
departed this life Feb. 9, 1847 aged 19 yrs, 10 days;
William Harrison, son of George and Elizabeth Hobaugh,
departed this life Oct 25, 1852, aged 28 years, one month
& 7 days.
George Hobaugh was born April 21st, 1793; Elizabeth Hobaugh
was born August 5th, 1797; George Hobaugh was married to
Elizabeth Kingry January 1st, 1818.
George Hobaugh served in War of 1812, SC-2219, srv Capt
Mich Wood's Co OH mil as a Pvt (War of 1812 Pensioners,
Vol II-Virgil G. White)
Source of Information: Hobaugh Bible Records, Tombstone
York Co NE
* Harvy son of John K. & Lucy Hobaugh died Mar. 21, 1848
aged 6m.26d.
Priscilla dau of Geo. & Elizabeth Hobaugh died Feb. 9, 1841
aged 19y.10d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
* Ruth dau of John K. & Lucy Hobaugh died Jan. 16, 1844
aged 1y.4m.3d.
Hummel,
Elizabeth wife of Wm. Hummel & dau of John & Mary Woodward
died Feb. 21, 1851 aged 20y.3m.15d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
Jackson,
Margaret Jackson dau of M. & M. Bond died Aug. 3, 1869
aged 33y.8d.
(I found the top only of this stone.)
Line,
Alphonso son of E.M. & E. Line died May 18, 1851
aged 5m.21d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
Isaac N. son of L. & C. Line died Dec. 21, 1845 aged 1m.21d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
Malott,
* Minnie B. Sept. 8, 1870 - Feb. 18, 1872
Reason died Feb. 5, 1852 aged 63y.21d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
McNary,
Samuel died Nov. 18, 1864 aged 55y.9m.16d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
I found a footstone with the initials S. Mc.
Woodward,
Elizabeth wife of Wm. Hummel & dau of John & Mary Woodward
died Feb. 21, 1851 aged 20y.3m.15d.
(This stone was broken into 2 or more pieces.)
NOTE: I found 3 pieces of stones that didn't match anything that had previously been recorded.
aged 2y.11m.3d.
aged 39y.5m.22d.
died June 7, 1859 aged 1y.9m.2 or 21d.
also found this partial stone, appears to be a bottom
Edward
died the same day
aged 2y.3m.7d.
also found 2 footstone that I am not sure who they belonged to
M.B. and R.E.H.